Metaphor

Milton H. Erickson changed the traditional authoritarian approach to client therapy with his innovative ideals and the simple recognition that "within the problem is the solution".

By using what is now termed the utilization approach which often involved the use of metaphor, or stories, analysis and insight was nudged off the pedestal in favor of creative reframing and unconscious learnings.

Metaphors provide vicarious learning experiences, and/or new perspectives towards solutions and understandings. A metaphor is a linguistic representation of experience that stands for another parallel experience, and as such communicates on two or more levels or dimensions. It is this multiplicity of dimensions that distinguish metaphorical communication from “straight” communication.

Whatever the form, metaphors communicate with multiplicity. They ensure that our communications, our messages to people, are perceived in many dimensions. They provide a gentle access to deeper meaning in life and to what is meaningful at a particular stage of development.

Metaphors can be real world experiences or make-believe tales told to illustrate or illuminate a particular viewpoint or to lead someone toward a particular outcome. Metaphors can be symbols, Zen koans, ritual, words, stories, parables, myths, legend, comedy or a joke, they can be simple or complex.

An effective metaphor will entertain, arouse curiosity, stimulate imagination, clarify emotions, develop intellect, be attuned to client’s anxieties and aspirations, give full recognition to the problem, promote confidence in self and future, develop options toward solutions, convey covert and overt meanings, speak simultaneously to many levels of human personality, and communicate in a manner that reaches the unconscious.

When we use metaphor in hypnotherapy, the metaphor initiates within the client a transderivational search i.e. the client begins to search for the relevancy of the metaphor to his own life and hopefully a solution to the issue in question.

When presentation a metaphor it is useful to use the metaphors already presented by the client. In other words, to take what is within the client’s communication (model of the world) and find a way to use it as a metaphor.

Metaphor's can be simple, and also very complex such as the multi-goal oriented metaphor (multi-embedded metaphor). Overdorf , "Training Trances (1994)" states that for structuring a multi-embedded metaphor: "The rule of thumb is that the steps you lead the client through on the way into the induction are reversed when you begin to reorient them. For example, if you induce trance by doing metaphor A, then metaphor B, then metaphor C, you come back out continuing with metaphor C, then metaphor B and end with metaphor A. In this construction, you have different themes and information packaged at different levels. This parallel layering effect usually produces amnesia, particularly for the segments in the middle. In our A-B-C-B-A construction, example C would likely become the most unconscious; followed by B; with A usually being what is likely to be remembered because of primacy and recency."

Here below is a sample multi-embedded metaphor I wrote for "self-appreciation".

Self Appreciation
I remember about a month ago when Jimmy, my neighbor's son came to me asking if I would take him to the upcoming auto show. He was fatherless, and enjoyed watching me rebuild old collectable cars in my driveway.
As we walked the isles at the show we passed by one parked car with a bumper sticker that said "Don't touch me, I am not that kind of car". Jimmy was wondering what kind of a car it was? For one thing - this car must think highly of itself. The car didn't look much different than any other car, but after reading the sticker one would begin to wonder about the unique qualities of that particular car, and come to think of it - every car is a unique car. The cars may look alike, I said to Jimmy, as the flowers in the field look alike and the trees in the park, yet if we really pay attention we will become aware of a certain personality that attracts us to a particular car, or a flower or a tree in the park.
Just like that tree in my garden Jimmy, which I took for granted, yet the tree knew it was unlike any other. What made this tree particularly different is that it was aware of love. This tree loved itself and wanted to share its love with the world. Silently the tree sent love to the sun and the suns rays played with the tree's branches, making it look ever more beautiful. The birds would come and perch themselves on the tree's branches, singing beautiful songs. The neighbors began to admire the tree and soon the tree seemed to be so involved in various activities and delighted that it could make others happy while enjoying itself, that it almost forgot about me … well, that's when my eyes opened and I realized what a jewel I had in my garden.
A tree so unique, like that car right there. And you know I bet a lot of people would be so green for that car, yet they have their own special car. Just like that car there, and that one over there Jimmy … all special cars … to feel so good about.
So when you find me working in my driveway, fine tuning, or rebuilding my neighbor's car, I can help you choose the tools, to fix and fine tune yours … your special car.


The Ericksonian hypnotherapist utilizes symbolic and metaphorical communications – especially those which stimulate self-referential processing – to encourage unconscious processing. A major Ericksonian hypnotic technique is to tell stories which are metaphorical in that the context of the story does not refer to the client but some major aspect(s) of the story are relevant to the client’s experience, or similar in context. Without a context, a metaphor tends to lose its meaning and becomes just another story. Metaphors are generally used to provide a learning of some sort, so it must somehow follow, or, be very similar to the listeners own situation. As the story is told the speaker must continuously monitor his audience in order to calibrate his rate of speech, as well as his design to the story. Changes in the story, as well as pauses and the speakers tone, and rhythm will all be adjusted as he watches his listener for subtle cues, as to what she might do, or say next, in order to maintain the listeners’ attention, and provide meaning. Beyond the context of the story, its lesson to the listener should be subtle enough that the listener decides upon his own learning, making whatever her new idea might be, seemingly her own.
For example:

Once upon a time there was a young woman and man crawling around on their hands and knees. They seemed to be searching desperately for something. A kind and well meaning stranger happened by and asked them, “what are you looking for?” They replied, “We are searching for some important keys that will unlock important doors in our lives.” The stranger said, “That sounds important! Let me help you look.” The stranger got down on his hands and knees and began searching for the missing keys. After a long while the stranger stopped and said, “I can’t find any keys here … just where were you standing when you lost them?” “Oh, about one hundred miles from here in an open field” the couple replied. The stranger said, “If you lost them in a field one hundred miles from here, what are we doing searching here?” “Well, said the couple, “the light is very good here, and we already know the territory perfectly.” (Old Sufi tale …)

Such a story can open a person's eyes to the redundancy of doing the same thing simply because they are familiar with it, or the opening of the unconscious to search for answers within a familiar background.

The most important aspect which must be recognized before the facilitation of a metaphor is that the story must fit the listener's circumstances closely enough that the unconscious can recognize the similarity, while accepting, then utilizing the end moral to develop its own trance learnings incorporating a therapeutic adaptation facilitating change, and new understandings.

The advantage of a metaphor is that it may by-pass the client’s conscious critical faculty, and allow the client’s unconscious to choose whatever is useful for the challenging situation he is experiencing.

Jeffrey Zeig lists some of the values of using anecdotes (metaphors) in therapy as follows:
- anecdotes are nonthreatening;
- anecdotes are engaging;
- anecdotes foster independence: the individual needs to make sense out of the message, and then come to a self-initiated conclusion or a self-initiated action;
- anecdotes can be used to bypass natural resistance to change;
- anecdotes can be used to control the relationship;
- anecdotes model flexibility;
- anecdotes can create confusion and promote hypnotic responsiveness; and
- anecdotes tag the memory – they make the presented idea more memorable.

Milton Erickson further believed that the occurrence of amnesia following a metaphor led to a greater effect due to non interference of the conscious mind.

Delivering Metaphorsm - Only $24.95
Metaphor has long been known as one of the best ways of getting a message across to someone in such a fashion that the listener is able to take what they need from the story and apply it to their own situation in the best manner that would work for them. With this program you learn the art of delivering metaphors artistically so that they reach your audience, including the artistic use of the multi embedded metaphor.

Delivering Metaphors (with subliminal track addition)
Only $34.95
You can never beat the effectiveness of subliminal messages within a hypnotic program for getting the learning across quickly and easily... order now, and deliver your stories colorfully.

Mailing address:
Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
Canada L4Y-3Z5

© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

If your experience with hypnosis is limited or you simply want to accelerate the effectiveness of your hypnosis sessions, and improve your life beyond perceptible measures, just click the link below for your free demonstration with this new state of the art program.

Back to “Hypnotic Language & more Secrets of Hypnosis”